1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the actuation of electromagnetic clutches and more particularly to a controller for such clutches that reduces the stresses associated with engagement of the clutches by providing a progressive or soft start.
2. Description of Related Art
Electromagnetic clutches are used in a variety of applications, including coupling large and small engines and motors to equipment operated by the engines or motors either directly or through transmissions. Especially in the case of relatively small engines and motors, the price of clutch controllers is a significant factor in the implementation of such controllers. However, small engine applications also benefit significantly from controlling the abrupt engagement of clutches since such engagement may increase wear, cause undesirable operating characteristics such as jerking, or cause the engine to stall if the clutch is engaged abruptly.
There have, in the past, been some efforts made towards reducing the abruptness of clutch engagement. Such methods have taken various forms, including mechanical arrangements that suffer from the disadvantage that they are complex and expensive, and electrical arrangements such as a simple switch that have provided less than optimal results. This invention provides a simple and inexpensive method for soft starting an electromagnetic clutch.
In almost all instances, an electromagnetic clutch includes a coil or solenoid through which a current is passed to actuate the clutch, an at least partially ferrous core is arranged to be drawn into the magnetic circuit when current is supplied to the coil. The coil typically resides inside a metal drum directly connected to the engine output shaft. The coil is stationary, but is magnetically coupled to the spinning drum. The armature core usually consists of the clutch disk itself, which is mechanically connected to the output shaft of the clutch assembly and is separated from the driven side by an “air-gap.” As current is applied to the coil, the magnetic field of the coil builds as the drum is magnetized to the point where the output disk (armature core) is pulled across the air-gap and contacts the drum face. At this point, the armature core becomes more closely coupled to the magnetic circuit and the inductance of the coil increases significantly.
This invention relies on the characteristic of a solenoid type of clutch actuator that the inductance of a solenoid increases as the core is drawn into the magnetic circuit of the solenoid. Since the core is mechanically connected to the clutch, movement of the core is directly related to the position and therefore the state of the clutch and by taking advantage of this, the present invention permits the position of the clutch to be determined from the increase in the inductance of the coil that occurs as the core is drawn into the magnetic circuit.
Because the current flowing through a coil will tend to increase with time, according to a well-known relationship, the actual current through a coil as a function of time can be predicted relatively accurately. Where the inductance of the coil increases quickly enough as the core moves into the magnetic circuit, the current through the coil will decrease rather than increase as a function of time, and by monitoring the current through the coil and recognizing this decrease in current as the clutch begins to engage, the present invention provides a method and apparatus for controlling the engagement of the clutch to provide a soft start.
If the clutch armature (clutch disc) pulls in squarely toward the electromagnet a distinct drop in current will occur that is easy to detect. However, the current signature may be less distinct if the armature pulls in obliquely or if the armature assembly is vibrating.
Mechanical vibration of the armature can cause a variation of the inductance as the core position in the coil varies at the vibration frequency. This change in inductance will cause a resulting modulation of the current waveform at the vibration frequency. This effect is most pronounced just before the pull-in point as the electromagnet begins to pull the armature closer. This makes pull-in difficult to detect.
The armature may also pull in obliquely especially in the case where a permanent magnet brake is employed. In this case, the edge of the armature opposite the brake magnet typically pulls in first, causing a relatively small change in inductance. The disc may then peel or roll off the permanent magnet causing several more small changes in inductance rather than one large distinct change.
It is desirable to provide a clutch controller that automatically adjusts for different clutch models. Clutches come in many different sizes, larger clutches requiring more current to activate the solenoid than smaller clutches. In prior art controllers, predetermined absolute current set points have been used to control the operation of the clutches. For example, a controller might initiate a ramp at a starting point of 1.2 amps for a three amp clutch, and a starting point of 2 amps for a 5 amp clutch.
Another problem of known controllers is that the current ramp increases the current slowly from a preset value to 100%. In practice, the clutch is fully engaged at a value somewhat less than 100% and continuing the ramp past this value may cause clutch slippage and overheating.
Heretofore, while a speed sensor has been employed to select a predefined current profile, it is preferable to use the actual RPM of the motor as feedback to actively control the current during the ramp up. Doing this allows the input shaft RPM and the output shaft RPM to be used to actively control the slip via the clutch current.
However, the necessary RPM information is typically not available at reasonable cost on motors of the type to which this invention is addressed. This is particularly true with respect to the RPM of the output shaft. Consequently, known prior art controllers have been open loop controllers. That is, the clutch current is modulated with the expectation that the desired engagement profile will result. However, changing load conditions and clutch wear can cause the engagement profile to vary greatly from the desired profile.
Typically, what is most important to the application is that the load is accelerated smoothly and that mechanical stresses and noise are minimized.
While a variety of methods for controlling the current passing through the clutch may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and in accordance with the invention, it is preferred to control the current through the use of a pulse width modulator which can be adjusted to provide a controlled amount of current to the coil of the clutch and thereby to accomplish a soft start.